US11376866B1ActiveUtility
Process for optimization of cure settings in the printing of images on transparent and semi-transparent media
Est. expiryApr 29, 2041(~14.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:James Richard BullingtonCody CurtsingerCorey Michael Maxwell-SwarthoutJoshua Boyd JordanMichael Edward Freeman
F26B 15/12F26B 3/28B41J 11/00214B41J 11/00212B41J 3/40733B29C 64/106
88
PatentIndex Score
3
Cited by
6
References
20
Claims
Abstract
A process is disclosed to precisely control the total amount of UV energy applied to images printed onto the exterior of a 3D object, such as a container like a wine bottle. The process includes establishing a UV dosage energy value to optimally cure an applied layer of ink expressed via an inkjet printing head onto the surface of the object, doing a partial cure of a printed ink layer, using a formula to calculate a power scale factor for the printed 3D object, and then based on the power scale factor tailoring a final cure step by controlling the amount of UV energy applied to the object to obtain an optimum cure result on the 3D object. The process allows for the control of a number of variables in the printing system to consistently apply an optimal amount of UV energy to the printed images.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modifiedHaving set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of a 3D object transparent media, comprising the steps of:
a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image applied onto the exterior of a 3D object transparent media, wherein said step of establishing said optimal UV dosage amount comprises recursively applying UV light energy to said 3D object transparent media exterior painted with a UV curable inked image until the entirety of said ink in said image hardens to a permanence level optimized for longevity without sacrificing appearance, and recording said UV light energy amount;
b. expressing said image onto the exterior of a piece of 3D object transparent media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said 3D object transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said recorded optimal UV dosage amount applied to said 3D object media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said 3D object media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media; and,
f. wherein said final curing step comprises the step of reducing said recorded UV optimal dosage energy amount by the calculated percentage of energy applied during said partial curing step and applying said reduced UV energy amount to said 3D object transparent media during said final curing step.
2. A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:
a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media; and,
f. wherein said final curing step is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met, and wherein said tailoring step is based upon a power scale factor calculated in accordance with the formula:
Power
Scale
Factor
=
(
Rotaional
Speed
of
Media
)
×
(
Step
Distance
per
Media
Revolution
)
×
(
Media
Perimeter
)
×
(
Dose
density
)
(
Distance
of
Exposure
)
×
(
Power
Density
of
UV
Lamp
)
×
(
Lamp
Width
)
where Rotational Speed of Media represents the rotational speed of said media in revolutions per second during said partial curing step;
where Step Distance per Media Revolution represents the distance that the media traverses along its rotational axis during said partial cure step during each revolution of said media in mm per revolution;
where Media Perimeter represents the circumference of said media at the location of the expressed image on the surface of said media measured in mm;
where Dose density represents the determined optimal dosage power density in m Joules per cm2 for the expressed image;
where Distance of Exposure represents the lesser of the maximum image height as measured along the axis of rotation of said media and the curing lamp length in mm;
where Power Density of UV Lamp represents the total power output in the curing lamp in mW per cm2; and,
where Lamp Width represents the curing lamp width in mm.
3. The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein said step of tailoring said final curing step comprises the step of reducing the amount of energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp.
4. The process as recited in claim 3 , wherein said step of tailoring said final curing step comprises the step of adjusting the lateral movement speed of said media along its axis of rotation as said media is exposed to energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp.
5. A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:
a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media;
f. wherein said final curing step is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met and,
wherein said tailoring step is based upon a power scale factor calculated in accordance with the formula:
Power
Scale
Factor
=
(
UV
Dosage
Applied
to
Expressed
Image
During
Partial
Curing
)
(
Time
of
Exposure
)
×
(
Power
Density
of
the
UV
Lamp
)
where UV Dosage Applied represents the total amount of UV energy applied over the expressed image during said partial curing step in m Joules;
where the Time of Exposure represents the total amount of time in seconds that the expressed image is exposed within a UV illumination zone during said partial curing step; and,
where Power Density of the UV Lamp represents the total power output of a curing lamp used in said partial curing step in mW per cm2.
6. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein said step of tailoring said final curing step comprises the step of calculating a number of rotations that said media is exposed to UV energy emitted by a final cure lamp and adjusting the number of total rotations of said media during said final cure step to comport with said calculated number of rotations.
7. The process as recited in claim 6 , wherein said steps of expressing an image and partially curing said expressed image are iteratively repeated in order to apply additional layers of ink to said media surface.
8. A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:
a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media;
f. wherein said final curing step is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met and,
wherein said tailoring step comprises the steps of;
i. calculating the amount of UV energy applied to said expressed image during said partial curing step;
ii. subtracting said calculated partial curing UV energy value from said established a UV dosage energy amount necessary to optimally cure said expressed image applied to said media;
iii. adjusting the amount of UV energy applied to said gelled image in said final cure step to match the value obtained in said UV energy subtraction step.
9. The process as recited in claim 8 , wherein said of step calculating the amount of UV energy applied to said expressed image during said partial curing step comprises the steps of:
a. calculating a ratio of media surface being illuminated within a UV illumination zone by a partial cure lamp by dividing the width of the partial curing lamp by the circumference of the media at the location of the image on the media;
b. calculating the linear velocity along the axis of rotation of the media moving beneath a cure lamp by multiplying the rotational speed of the media by the linear distance the media moves during a single rotation;
c. calculating the time of exposure of the leading edge of the image as it passes through a cure lamp zone of illumination by dividing the distance traveled through the cure lamp zone of illumination by the calculated linear velocity;
d. calculating the total amount of UV energy applied to an image expressed onto the surface of the media by multiplying the calculated time of exposure with the power density of the partial curing lamp; and,
e. multiply the prior calculated ratio of media surface being illuminated with the calculated the total amount of UV energy applied to the image.
10. The process as recited in claim 9 , wherein said step of tailoring said final curing step comprises the step of reducing the amount of energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp.
11. The process as recited in claim 9 , wherein said step of tailoring said final curing step comprises the step of adjusting the rotational speed of said media when exposed to energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp.
12. The process as recited in claim 11 , wherein said step of tailoring said final curing step comprises the step of adjusting the lateral movement speed of said media along its axis of rotation as said media is exposed to energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp.
13. The process as recited in claim 12 , wherein said steps of expressing an image and partially curing said expressed image are iteratively repeated in order to apply additional layers of ink to said media surface.
14. The process as recited in claim 9 , wherein said step of tailoring said final curing step comprises the step of calculating a number of rotations that said media is exposed to UV energy emitted by a final cure lamp and adjusting the number of total rotations of said media during said final cure step to comport with said calculated number of rotations.
15. A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of a 3D object transparent media, comprising the steps of:
a. step for establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image applied onto the exterior of 3D object transparent media, wherein said step of establishing said optimal UV dosage amount comprises recursively applying UV light energy to said 3D object transparent media exterior painted with a UV curable inked image until the entirety of said ink in said image hardens to a permanence level optimized for longevity without sacrificing appearance, and recording said UV light energy amount;
b. step for expressing an image onto the exterior of said 3D media while rotating said 3D media;
c. step for exposing the exterior of said 3D object transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. step for calculating a percentage of said recorded optimal UV dosage amount applied to said 3D media during said step for partial curing;
e. step for moving said 3D media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said 3D media; and,
f. wherein said step for final curing comprises the step of reducing said recorded UV optimal dosage energy amount by the calculated percentage of energy applied during said partial curing step and applying said reduced UV energy amount to said 3D object transparent media during said final curing step.
16. A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:
a. step for establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. step for expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. step for exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. step for calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said step for partial curing;
e. step for moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media; and,
f. wherein said step for final curing is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met and,
g. wherein said step for tailoring comprises the steps of;
i. calculating the amount of UV energy applied to said expressed image during said step for partial curing;
ii. subtracting said value obtained in said calculating step from said established a UV dosage energy amount necessary to optimally cure said expressed image applied to said media;
iii. adjusting the amount of UV energy applied to said gelled image in said step for final curing to match the value obtained in said UV energy subtraction step.
17. The process as recited in claim 16 , wherein said of step calculating the amount of UV energy applied to said expressed image during said step for partial curing comprises the steps of:
a. calculating a ratio of media surface being illuminated within a UV illumination zone by a partial cure lamp by dividing the width of the partial curing lamp by the circumference of the media at the location of the image on the media;
b. calculating the linear velocity along the axis of rotation of the media moving beneath a cure lamp by multiplying the rotational speed of the media by the linear distance the media moves during a single rotation;
c. calculating the time of exposure of the leading edge of the image as it passes through a cure lamp zone of illumination by dividing the distance traveled through the cure lamp zone of illumination by the calculated linear velocity;
d. calculating the total amount of UV energy applied to an image expressed onto the surface of the media by multiplying the calculated time of exposure with the power density of the partial curing lamp; and,
e. multiply the prior calculated ratio of media surface being illuminated with the calculated the total amount of UV energy applied to the image.
18. The process as recited in claim 17 , wherein said tailoring step comprises the step selected from the group consisting of a step of reducing the amount of energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp, a step of adjusting the rotational speed of said media when exposed to energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp, the step of adjusting the lateral movement speed of said media along its axis of rotation as said media is exposed to energy that is emitted by a final cure lamp, and a step of calculating a number of rotations that said media is exposed to UV energy emitted by a final cure lamp and adjusting the number of total rotations of said media during said final cure step to comport with said calculated number of rotations.
19. A process for tailoring a final curing step of an expressed image applied to the surface of a 3D object transparent media, comprising the steps of:
a. empirically establishing an amount of UV energy necessary to optimally cure an image expressed onto the exterior of a 3D object of transparent media, wherein said step of empirically establishing said optimal UV dosage amount comprises recursively applying UV light energy to said 3D object transparent media exterior painted with a UV curable inked image until the entirety of said ink in said image hardens to a permanence level optimized for longevity without sacrificing appearance, and recording said UV light energy amount;
b. applying said image onto the exterior of said 3D transparent media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said 3D transparent media to a UV cure lamp to partially cure said image into a gelled state;
d. moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said 3D media; and,
e. wherein said final curing step is tailored responsive to the amount of UV energy applied in said partial curing step to adjust the amount of UV energy applied to said exterior of said 3D transparent media such that said recorded optimal amount of UV energy is not exceeded.
20. The process as recited in claim 19 , wherein said tailoring step further comprises the step of applying substantially all of said recorded optimal amount of UV energy.Cited by (0)
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